Dry separator and amalgamator.



J. B. HARTMAN' & P. 0. GUMMISKEY. DRY SEPARATOR AND AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1911. 1,034,792. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET l dwwgz aa g fyi J. B. HARTMAN & P. O. GUMMISKEY.

MATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11 1911.

DRY SEPARATOE AND AMALGA Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

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To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

JOSEPH B. HARTMAN AND PHILIP O. CUMMISKE'Y, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI; SAID CUMMISKEY ASSIGNOR T0 SAID HARTMAN.

DRY SEPARATOR AND AMALGAMATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

Application filed March 11, 1911. Serial No. 613,678.

Be it known that we, JOSEPH B. HARTMAN and PHILIP O. CUMMISKEY, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dry Separators and Amalgamators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to separators and amalgamators for use in connection with quartz and placer mining and has for its primary object to provide an improved construction, combination and arrangement of parts in devices of this character by means of which a thorough separation of the gold from sand and other non-metallic matter may be economically effected and by means of which such separating action may be carried on substantially continuously.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide improved means for elfecting a preliminary separation between the heavier particles and nuggets and the finer particles or dust.

Another object is to provide improved means for intercepting the finer metallic portions from the dust and other lighter" portions after it has been separated from the heavier portions.

Another object is to provide improved means for intercepting the finer metallic portions by amalgamation and improved through our improved apparatus, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line IV-IV, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the vertical shaft with a side wall removed.

In the present specification, the description of our invention will be given showing its application to the recovery of gold from thedextraneous elements by whichit is carrie Referring more particularly to the drawings, and to the embodiment shown therein, a vertical shaft 1, preferably of the crosssection shown in Fig. 4c, is provided at the top with a hopper 2 into which is discharged the gold bearing gravel, sand or ore previously crushed to a degree of fineness that will serve to liberate the larger portion of the free gold. As shown in Figs. 1, 4t and 5, the opposite narrow side walls of the vertical shaft 1 have secured thereto vertical supports or bars 3 and 4 provided at suitable intervals with paired notches 5 (see Fig. 5). Upon the broad side walls of the shaft 1 are provided at correspondinglyspaced in tervals, paired supporting brackets 6. In

this way, means are provided for reniovably supporting a plurality of amalgamated plates 7 and screens 8, each of the screens being paired with one of said plates in such a way as to prevent abrasion of the plates by the larger pieces that tumble downwardly through the shaft. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the plates 7 and screens 8 are supported in inclined position by means of pins 9 provided in the lateral edges of said plates and screens, said pins being removably seated within the notches 5. One of the narrow side walls of the shaft 1 is provided with a door 10 swingingly mounted upon hinges 11, said door extending throughout the greater portion of the length of said shaft to permit ready access to the interior thereof. By means of this construction the screens may be renewed and the plates removed for securing the gold amalgam and for the purpose of renewing the amalgam dressing of the plates.

In the lower portion of one of the broad flat walls are provided a plurality of openings covered by screens 12 to permit the passage of air from a rotary fan 13 withi'n a wind box 14, said fan being mounted on the end of a shaft 15 journaled in the standards 16. Inclined downwardly and inwardly from the upper edge of each of said openings is a screen 17 which screens are alternately disposed and overreach other screens 18 projecting inwardly and ownwardly ,from the other broad flat wall 0 the shaft 1.

' Said other wall is provided with an opening which preferably extends equal distances above the uppermost screen 18 and below the lowermost screen 18, this opening being provided with a screen 19 covering the entrance into a deposit chamber within which are removably mounteda plurality of plates 20, preferably of silver-plated copper heavthese plates over their edges adjacent the shaft 1 are a plurality of amalgamated defiector plates 22 which serve to deflect the flour or dust down onto the plates 20 during its passage through the deposit cham- In order to provide means for maintain ing the mercury in an active condition upon the amalgamator plates, said plates are connected up with a source of electrical energy, to be hereinafter referred to, by means of aplurality of binding posts 23 on the fixed side wall of the deposit chamber and a corresponding number of binding posts 24 on the door 25 of'said chamber, each of the binding posts being provided with spring clips 26 for resiliently engaging the plates 20 when in position. Each of the spring clips 26 is provided with a stem which projects through and is supported by an insulating bushing 48 mounted in the wall or door of the deposit chamber. Extending rearwardly from the deposit chamber is a gallery or passageway 27, contracted at its rearward end and discharging into an exhaust chamber 28 with which it is connected by a downwardly inclined passageway 29. Projecting downwardly and rearwardly from the upper rear end of the deposit chamber is a blanket supporting framework 30 whose outer end is supported from the roof of the gallery 27 by means of swinging hooks 31 suitably disposed. The bottom of the gallery 27 is also provided with a blanket 32 which may be stretched upon any suitable framework to entirely cover the floor of said gallery, the blanket devices 30 and 32 being suitably mounted to adapt them to be easily removed through the doorway of the deposit chamber when the plates 20 are removed therefrom. The exhaust chamber 28 is provided in its forward end wall with an inlet chute 33 for air from a rotary fan 34 on the end of a power shaft 35 journaled within standards 36 on a common base plate or frame 37. Said power shaft receives its power through an endless belt 38 connecting it with a motor shaft 39 which may be connected and disconnected with an engine 40 by means of a clutch mechanism 41 controlled by a shifting lever 42. The forward end of the power shaft 35 is connected by an endless belt'43 with the shaft 15 in the wind box 14 for driving the power fan 13..

The operation of our improved separator and amalgamator will now be readily understoodand briefly stated is as follows: The crushed ore, sand, dirt, etc., being dumped noaavea into the upper end of the shaft 1, the larger portion of ore and gold bound from one to the other of the screens 8 and thence onto the screens 17 and 18 in succession, being eventually deposited in the hopper bottom 44 of the shaft 1, which is provided with an outlet gate 45. During the passage of the heavier particles over the screens 8, the finer particles and dust become thoroughly dislodged therefrom, a considerable portion of such dust passing through the screens 8 and lodging upon the amalgamated deposit plates 7. Such of the dust and finer particles as does notbecome lodged upon the deposit plates? passes downwardly from the screens 17 and 18, being intercepted by the current of air from the fan 13 which drives it rearwardly through the screen 19 against the deflector amalgamated plates 22 whereon some of it becomes lodged and other portions of it are driven'rearwardly through the deposit chamber. A large portion of this dust becomes lodged upon the amalgamated plates 20, while the remnants thereof may be taken up by the blankets 3O and 32 in the gallery 27. The fan 34 supplements the work of the fan 13 in introducing a current of air through the several compartments of the apparatus. By means of wires 46 current from the dynamo 47 may be con- 9 veyeol to and from the contacts 23 and 24.

The doors 10 and 25 and the shutter 45 are preferably made airtight so as to confine the movement of air through the apparatus to the desired channels.

What we claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a vertical shaftwith an opening in its lateral wall, of a deposit chamber extending around said opening, a plurality of horizontal deposit plates arranged edgewise to said opening and one above the other, and a deflector disposed above each deposit plate and inclined downwardly away from said opening to provide a contracted passageway adjacent each plate.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a vertical shaft provided with wind openings, of a plurality of screens disposed transversely of said shaft and intermediate of said wind openings, and means for creating a blast of air through said openings to displace the lighter particles laterally toetfect a separation; said openings being screened to. prevent the passage of larger particles.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a deposit chamber, of a plurality of deposit plates arranged one above the other, a deflector above the forward edge of each plate, means for delivering an air blast across said plates for conveying ore dust into said chamber, said deflectors being adapted to insure the deposit of heavier metallic particles, means at the discharge end of said deposit chamber for intercepting the finer metallic particles, and means for creating a suction through said discharge end to remove the non-metallic dust. 7

l. In a device of the character described, the combination with a horizontal deposit chamber through which ore dust is propelled, of a gallery leading from said deposit chamber, a blanket disposed along the floor of said gallery, a second blanket inclined overthe top wall of said gallery downwardly toward the first said blanket for intercepting the metallic portions passing into said gallery and deflecting them .down onto said floor blanket, and means for creating a blast of air across the rear end of said gallery for drawing oil the nonmetallic dust v I JOSEPH B, HARTMAN.

PHILIP O. CUMMISKEY. In the presence of J. B. MEGOWN, M. C. HAMMON. 

